


Tie a Ribbon Around Me

by Jaune_Chat



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Courting Rituals, Fanart, Fashion & Couture, Knotting, M/M, Romance, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 17:00:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18642304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaune_Chat/pseuds/Jaune_Chat
Summary: It's the time of the annual Courting Galas, and Tony Stark, former weapons manufacturer, has sponsored one ever since he changed the direction of his company.  Never looking for anyone himself since his change of heart, he finds a sudden interest in veteran and artist Steve Rogers, who finds him just as intriguing...





	Tie a Ribbon Around Me

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Cat Solari](https://cat-solari.tumblr.com/) for Marvel Trumps Hate.
> 
> I commissioned some lovely artwork by [LeeHanJi](https://leehanji.tumblr.com/) for this fic!

“Tony, you’re running late.”

Pepper bustled into Tony’s office with all the efficiency of a very organized whirlwind, chivvying him out of his seat and down the hall to the elevator. Tony didn’t offer any resistance or even a peep of protest, not when he saw the time. Also he had long since learned the futility of opposing Pepper when she was trying to run his life.

“Isn’t today Tuesday? The scholarship thing, right?”

“Friday,” she said, as the doors chimed softly and opened onto his residential floor of the tower. “The Courting Gala?”

Clarity returned in an instant, the lure of the delicate schematics he’d been plotting suddenly run straight out of his head. He quickly stepped out of the elevator, walking quickly backwards towards his bedroom. “Pep, you’re a lifesaver,” he said, blowing her a kiss. 

“Oh, I know,” she said, a half-smile on her lips as the doors shut.

Tony turned and sped towards his bathroom, calling out commands left and right. “Power-wash cycle, JARVIS, with a scented rinse. Spin out the courting suits and pick something nice. Blue tie, anything that goes with the suit. Pick the accessories, I trust your judgment!” He shed clothing with every step, dropping them all over his bedroom. Between a long creative session in his workshop, a nice healthful sparring session with Happy, and then ruminating over diagrams while he’d completely lost track of time, Tony knew he had to look more like a bed-headed college student after a frat party marathon than someone Pepper would let through the doors of his own party.

“My judgment is excellent sir, particularly as Miss Potts put her input about your wardrobe in earlier this week.” JARVIS’ voice had just the right amount of exasperation mixed with a bit of sass, which considering how Tony had nearly dropped the ball on getting to the Gala he had so painstakingly arranged. Or had very good people arrange, at least. The Gala was his own brainchild, not tied to the Stark Industries brand, but rather with one of the Maria Stark Foundation charities. And for this Gala, he needed to look his best.

Tony jumped in the shower and strove not to yelp as the powerful jets of water hit him from all angles. He didn’t have a second to waste, so was subjecting himself to the “human car wash” feature of his ridiculously extravagant shower. He was going to feel a little tenderized, but it was guaranteed to not miss a single spot. That was the theme of the Gala, after all, “Everyone deserves a chance to shine.” 

He kept his eyes shut as the soap cycle started, the water droplets making a metallic _pinging_ off the lit circle of lights and metal embedded in his heavily-scarred chest. Four years ago he’d been enjoying the fruits of his genius a lot more than had been healthy, and enjoying it fairly thoughtlessly. He’d been the best weapons’ manufacturer in the world, a regular Merchant of Death, according to some articles. He’d justified it to himself by thinking patriotic thoughts, and taken the fruits of his fame in stride.

Then, Obie. Dad’s business partner, Obadiah Stane, his friend, Dad’s friend, Tony’s mentor in the business, decided that Tony was more of an obstacle than anything else. A company trip to Afghanistan had turned nearly deadly. People had died for him, and he’d nearly been handed a death sentence at his own hands when his weapons had been turned against him. Three months in a cave with one new brave friend who’d kept him alive and sane while supposedly laboring to make more death for people with terrible intentions. Instead, he’d broken himself out with an armored, weaponized suit, and taken those sons of bitches out himself.

It had been a damn miracle he’d been found alive. A few months later, after shutting down weapons’ manufacturing, Obie had gotten Tony voted out.

And boasted about it. At a gala. Where Tony had just had a difficult but enlightening conversation with a journalist hungry for a story. Between Christine Everhart’s recorder and publisher, and Pepper getting into Obie’s files, Obie had found himself with a life sentence somewhere unpleasant and Tony had found himself standing alone at the top of his company. He used what he’d learned from his captivity and turned Stark Industries around to fix mistakes, instead of make them. The suit he’d used to get out of that cave had been the last weapon he’d ever made.

He’d told Pepper he wanted to have the Courting Gala to give back, and at first, he was certain she didn’t believe him. Tony had been cheerfully hopping in and out of bed with plenty of willing partners over the years, and had taken more than one casual heat buddy, but a Courting Gala was supposed to be more serious. They were for finding partners, close friends, even the love of your life; long-term relationships, or at least the start of them. For most of Tony’s life, that hadn’t been his style.

Pepper hadn’t believed it until Tony had invited random college graduating classes, returning vets, and whole swaths of randomly-selected interested StarkPhone users, Twitter feed followers, and passionate fans… and never went home with any of them. He evened the playing field with little shopping sprees for everyone’s outfits, inviting aspiring designers to showcase their work on the invitees, and had seemed content to lord over the traditional spring Courting like an indulgent uncle, breaking the ice and warming the atmosphere. 

Tony rubbed at his chest absently as the soap was washed away and the scented rinse sprayed over him. Just enough scent to mingle nicely with his own omega aroma, a cleaner, more businesslike scent that didn’t shout out that he was courting. Wouldn’t want to give people the wrong impression. Ridged, keloid scars were like tiny mountain ranges under his fingers, and the pressure called up a dull ache from the weight of metal in his body. The metal in his chest housed a magnet to keep too-fine-for-surgical-intervention-shrapnel from slow-dancing into his heart. 

Yeah, definitely didn’t want to give people the wrong impression. 

The shower shut off, and blowers turned on, drying Tony off in a few minutes without the need for a towel. JARVIS had his closet open when Tony hustled out of the backroom; the racks spun to something Pepper-approved, deep blue, with a tie in a shimmering shade darker, watch and cuff links harmonizing. He armored up in his suit, cursed his pants as he did the five million buttons and belts and buckles, slid the cufflinks home, and remembered shoes before JARVIS could say anything. A dash through the bathroom to make sure his hair and beard were behaving, and he was o-so-casually descending in the glass lobby elevator, precisely on time.

From the elevated view, the place was going to be jumping tonight. Swarms of people were already milling around, enjoying champagne and canapes, trying to be as casual as Tony felt. And he was, or at least he was pretty sure he was feeling a lot calmer than most of the younger faces down there. They were looking for love in all the right places, and there was no better time that tonight to show off and find that someone. Tony wasn’t looking, except in the very aesthetic sense, and that took a lot of pressure off.

There was a great mix of people here from every part of the city and a little outside of it, and everyone was dressed to the nines. It had been one of Pepper’s assistants who’d suggested leveling the playing field with little makeovers for everyone, and Pepper had made it happen with a huge amount of glee. Courting was difficult enough without worrying that you weren’t going to be able to show yourself off the way you wanted to, or your budget couldn’t stretch for a cab ride. Not every problem could be solved by throwing money at it, but this time it could, and Tony absolutely loved being able to play fairy godmother.

The elevator doors opened and Tony joined the crowd, making sure to stroll by Pepper to prove he’d made it on time. 

Tony paused to admire the crowd as they moved around the space. The designers who’d participated in this year’s gala had done some outstanding work with the traditional courting costumes. Bare necks, of course, one and all. Wide-necked shirts, strapless tops and gowns, even a couple of daring nearly bare-chested courters, all to show that the wearer was looking and available. Tony was wearing a full-width dark tie, saying without words that he wasn’t looking, though he lacked the pin or charm to show that he was in a relationship. Anyone working the gala who wasn’t sporting a throat charm was wearing light-colored throat bands or ribbons to show they might be looking, but not tonight. That was supposed to keep people from bothering the staff while they were working, and so far no one had transgressed those bounds. 

The courting costumes all sported a loop or three on the shoulders or sleeves where an interested suitor could tie or clip a ribbon to indicate interest or just simple admiration. Back before phones, that had often been the only way to track down an admirer. Tony had always liked the story of Cinderella and how she’d left behind her glass-beaded ribbon with Prince Charming; he’d had to go and find the clever work of her hands, instead of a rich velvet ribbon of a noble. Some people at courting balls like to try to gather as many ribbons as they could just to feel popular, but most of the time ribbons could lead to friendship, a date, or even sparks flying right away.

The designers had included other traditional elements in the courting costumes. The alphas had very well-cut pants or skirts with high slits, elaborately decorated on the front. At more formal parties, the traditional decorated codpieces were standard for alphas, but most regular folks wouldn’t be caught dead in a codpiece in public. Wisely the designers had updated the designs, though Tony did spy a few die-hard traditionalists. 

Tony had once dressed as an alpha for a drag competition; his codpiece had been dyed, embroidered, _and_ sequined. Plus he’d rigged up lights on it. He’d won first prize by a landslide, once everyone, including him, had stopped laughing.

Omegas were wearing longer skirts, or coats with long tails that went to the knees. A few even had the very traditional bustled skirt. All of them were highly decorated in the back, just like Tony’s own tux jacket with its blue, red, and gold embroidery. In boarding school they’d had all the omegas wear the traditional bustled skirts for the practice courting balls, but Tony was glad Pepper had opted for something more modern for him tonight.

It was endlessly amusing to Tony that apparently courting couldn’t take place if there wasn’t a target over your genitals. The betas at the party got to wear whatever they wanted; most opted, like Pepper, for sophistication in simplicity, making a striking contrast to the extravagant displays of alphas and omegas.

There was not going to be any formal opening of the Gala, and absolutely no speeches; they only made people self-conscious. Instead there was food, drink, music, dancing, and enough clusters of couches, tables, and little intimate nooks to make you think Stark Industries was opening a furniture showroom. 

_Can’t face the ten thousand all at once,_ Tony thought with amusement, wading into the crowd. He got some attention, but didn’t get mobbed. Word had gotten around about that; the first year a few people had gotten ejected for not getting a clue about his boundaries, and no one wanted to leave. He smiled at the young courters, grinned for their selfies, asked a few questions, even suggested a few people talk to each other based on their answers. 

He was drifting away from one group and about to turn to find another when he ran into a wall. The wall quickly cupped his elbow to stop him from stumbling, apologizing all the while.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going, are you all right?”

Tony looked up, not even a hair mussed, and froze. The wall was a solid, muscular young man with broad shoulders, a trim waist, blond hair growing out of a military cut, and blue eyes that wouldn’t quit. 

When tall, blond, and stacked turned to make certain there was no one else nearby he needed to apologize to, Tony noticed that his ass wouldn’t quit either. 

“You’re good,” Tony said, laying a hand on the wall’s arm. “More than good, actually. Tony Stark.” He put out a hand, and the wall took his after a moment, shaking it with a hand that held a little more callus than most.

“I know,” the wall said, blushing. “Thank you for inviting me. This party is amazing…” He realized he was still holding Tony’s hand and let go with seeming reluctance. “Sorry, I’m Steve Rogers.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Captain America, I presume?”

Steve flushed a little, an amazing response from a genuine war hero.

“That wasn’t my idea,” he demurred.

“You did him justice. I don’t think anyone else could have,” Tony said, holding his gaze steadily on Steve.

“Thank you,” he said, painfully sincere, shifting a little back and forth. “I was lucky I didn’t get killed or court-martialed.”

Tony just shook his head a bit. There had been a “Captain America” in the United States Army since World War II. While the original had been a combat hero, since that time the role had been mostly for PR, a member of the USO who helped with morale and recruitment. Except Steve Rogers had taken the role very, very seriously when the base he’d been performing at had been attacked. Leading volunteers, he’d gone after soldiers captured in the raid and rescued them from a seemingly impossible situation. After that, he’d done two more active tours of duty behind the mask, racking up a chest full of medals before handing over the mantle to a fellow soldier. No one was going to relegate that title to pure entertainment and morale again, not after Steve Rogers.

“Optics,” Tony pointed out. “You’re too pretty to punish, and too good to deny you your place. All of that was well-earned.” 

Steve smiled, his blush fading. “I was glad I did it. I just wanted to do the right thing, and help people. I’m also glad I got out while I did. I didn’t need it to be my life. My friends Bucky and Sam share the shield now,” he said. “Mr. Stark- Tony, thank _you_ for what you did. The new armor and protective gear your company started putting out saved a whole lot of lives.”

“I’m glad,” Tony said, feeling some warmth at the praise. Getting good feedback on StarkTech armor always felt different than when he’d got praised for new missiles, bombs, or firearms; it felt sincerer, and a lot cleaner. “And how about now? Since you got out?” Tony prompted.

“Art. I’m doing some work at community centers, teaching and murals and stuff. I’m trying to get a gallery show, and I’d love to do some art for books,” Steve said, rocking very slightly on his heels. He didn’t look bored, so Tony pegged it for nerves. What the hell did he have to be nervous about?

“What kind of art?”

“For architecture or engineering, or science fiction or fantasy novels. Maybe children’s books…”

“The whole world,” Tony said, and Steve nodded.

“If NASA asked me, I’d jump on it in a heartbeat.”

Tony felt a thrill at that. How the hell did someone like Steve Rogers exist in the same world as him? He was like a shining beacon of virtue and hope. Not-so-suddenly, Tony _wanted_ him. The desire wasn’t entirely surprising, the man was a beauty, but Tony was surprised at the strength of it. He hadn’t really felt like that since, well, before Afghanistan. 

“Don’t laugh,” Steve said, half-smiling, interpreting Tony’s pause as skepticism.

“Oh, I’m not. In fact, NASA might be getting some advice on who to hire for their promotional art,” he said.

“You don’t have to-!”

“The company has a lot of contracts with NASA. I don’t throw my weight around over there, so they listen when I make a recommendation.”

Steve laughed self-consciously. “You have no idea what my stuff looks like. I could be terrible!”

“You could never be terrible.” 

Steve blushed a bit and looked down at his shoes. Despite radiating nervousness, he had none of the sharp edginess alphas could get when they were feeling defensive. Under the nerves though was a very healthy alpha scent that was doing things for Tony above and beyond Steve’s adorableness.

“Besides, I bet you can remedy my opinion here and now,” Tony said.

“You want me to draw you?” Steve didn’t seem at all adverse, indeed even eager. Tony melted a little, resisting the urge to purr.

“I’ll take you up on that later. What do you have on your phone?”

Steve blushed a little more and pulled out his phone to show his works. Tony was impressed: they were well-colored, true to life, he was like a modern Norman Rockwell. His drawings of buildings and cityscapes had good perspective too. A few more drawings of more fantastical and romantic things, like castles and alien cities, showed a decided comic book flair. If Steve wanted to get into any of his chosen fields of art, he showed a hell of a lot of promise. 

“These are really good. No lie,” Tony said, forestalling any protests. “Mom made me learn about art. Pepper too.”

“Pepper? Pepper _Potts?!_ ” Steve said, looking where Tony gestured. Pepper was talking with a group of courters and designers both, looking beautifully elegant as always. Steve looked downright awed. Tony completely understood and appreciated the sentiment; if you knew anything about Pepper, you couldn’t help but be awed.

“She was my assistant for a while, but she was so good at running my life that I had to make her CEO. She’s _way_ better at it than me,” Tony said proudly.

“She’s one of my heroes,” Steve said, grinning.

“I like you a lot. You have excellent taste.” Tony snagged two flutes of champagne from a passing server and handed one to Steve. “To Pepper, who will be happy to know I’ve found someone for the NASA job.”

“To Pepper,” Steve said solemnly, raising his glass in return, “who I hope finds me worthy.”

Tony used the drinking to as cover to hide the rush of excitement that flashed over him. God, he wanted to eat this man with a spoon.

“I hope my last few classes help me there,” Steve added.

“Classes?”

“Yeah, I got into art school on the GI Bill after I was discharged. It’s great being back here again but…”

“What? It’s weird?” Tony asked with seeming casualness. He had understood the difficulty of transitioning back to civilian life from the military intellectually, before he’d found himself plunged into the middle of it by a murderous business partner. After, he’d gotten a much closer and far better understanding than he’d ever wanted. His therapist was probably the best-paid professional in the city.

“Not how most people usually think.” Steve shifted himself very carefully as someone went by with a cart full of canapes and desserts, careful not to snag on it. He swirled the champagne, looked up at Tony, and kept talking. “In school I was always more into basketball and swimming than football or wrestling, you know? Then I joined the Army. My drill instructor decided I was a project, and she pushed me.”

“Right into beefcake territory, I see. Tell me her name so I can send her a fruit basket.” Tony took a lingering look at Steve’s truly exceptional physique. 

“Sergeant Carter would probably like that. In the USO, you spend a lot of time in transit, or waiting around. I made the most of it with every gym we came across, and when we didn’t have that, I improvised.

“Oh!” Tony lit up in understanding. “No wonder those Captain America uniforms were damn near painted on.” And no wonder Steve had been nearly a one-man army in rescuing the captured soldiers.

Steve blushed, but seemed to be pleased at Tony’s reaction. “I had to change the choreography in the shows. If I split the pants again, the wardrobe department was going to shove me out of a plane. Then I was in BDUs the rest of the time. I haven’t been… I’ve never been out courting like this.” He gestured carelessly at himself, as if all six-plus feet of fine American muscle was a hardship to trot out for public inspection.

“How did you get out of the Army without even a little bit of courting? Hell, the USO _organizes_ the courting balls for the Army,” Tony asked, genuinely curious.

Steve made a small gesture with his hand, to Tony, then back to him, looking down at the floor a bit before meeting Tony’s eyes. “I’m representing an icon, I’m recognized wherever I go. I never really knew if someone was talking to me for me or trying to date the shield. It was safer to just stay friends.”

Tony nodded with total empathy. His own heat-buddies were friends of long acquaintance, or professionals with impeccable credentials, no one who was likely trying to bed him out of his fame. It was part of the reason he’d stopped wearing an open-necked shirt to the Courting Gala; the few people who knew him well enough not to be overawed were also either already in a relationship, uninterested in one with him, or too important to him to wreck with trying to take things in the wrong direction. He’d had a boatload of issues even before Afghanistan, and now it had seemed like too much trouble to throw himself back into the dating pool. Except he was considering it, right here and now.

“What about after you were discharged, though? I thought people would have been ambushing you with ribbons. _I_ would have.”

Steve flicked his eyes down to the three ribbons tied on the loops on his sleeve. “If I’m not wearing the mask, I’m sort of more of a wallflower, honestly. These are from Nat, Wanda, and Bucky, my friends. I’ve just… I’m still pretty new to… courting.”

Steve kept stealing glances at Tony, eye sliding down his face to-. Suddenly Tony felt like an idiot. Here he was, monopolizing Steve’s time while silently proclaiming he clearly wasn’t looking. And he _wanted_ Steve. He hadn’t come here looking – he had ten or more (an uncomfortably lot more) years on some of the people here. But Steve was sharp, intelligent, talented, empathetic, drop-dead gorgeous, and seemed to be enjoying Tony’s company.

“Anyone who’s caught your eye?” Tony asked. He tugged a little on his tie, loosening it. Steve’s eyes nailed to the motion. He took a half-step closer and looked around the room. “Maybe. It’s different, with the new suit and all. Thanks again for that.”

“If I were Castella, I’d be thanking _you_ for showing off her design on such a perfect specimen of alphahood,” Tony said, recognizing the style of the suit and openly ogling Steve with a bit of exaggeration.

Steve laughed and flushed, putting his hand on Tony’s shoulder with only a little hesitation. His fingers oh-so-casually slipped into the ribbon loop sewn there, and tugged at it, deliberately. Challengingly. The motion sent a zing of lust through Tony. Steve might be new to courting, but it sure as hell didn’t mean he was bad at it.

“I thanked her up one side of the street and down the other,” Steve said, nodding at the preening designer a few groups over.

“I’m gonna thank her too. Probably with obscene amounts of money and a few sponsored shows.”

Steve’s hand didn’t move, but he shifted a little closer still, close enough to talk softly and still be heard over the conversation, laughter, and music.

“Everyone here just seems so happy. And I am too…”

 _But._ Tony could hear the “but”. Steve had been in combat, lots of it, that was something that could be difficult to share. Particularly when everyone saw you as some kind of plaster saint. Tony knew about the ugly parts that Steve had likely seen, the hard parts where everyone couldn’t be saved even when you tried your best. He knew it down to the shrapnel in his heart.

“Sometimes its just enough to be okay, or not too bad,” Tony murmured back. Steve let out a breath that he didn’t seem to realize he’d been holding, those broad shoulders relaxing. His hand kept a firm hold on Tony’s ribbon loop, the little tension there driving Tony crazy.

“I just… didn’t want to have to wear a mask tonight,” Steve said.

His eyes were so very blue in the gleaming atrium lights. Tony swallowed. Hell with dancing around this any more. “Oh, I don’t want you in a mask. I want you in as little as possible.”

There were tables with hanks of ribbons on them all over the room, but Tony didn’t want to waste a second looking for one. He whipped his tie off from around his neck and quickly tied it around Steve’s impressive bicep, slipping the ends through the ribbon loop. Steve looked at him with astonishment, amazement, and a decided amount of lust. The only way Tony could have made his interest more plain would to have stripped naked and presented right there and then.

“Ah…” Steve stared down at the deep blue tie that was covering over the ribbons his friends had given him. “Tony…”

He didn’t ask _are you sure?_ Instead he took a length of blue and white patterned ribbon from his pocket and tied it to Tony’s ribbon loop in return.

“Is there somewhere we can go?”

 _Well._ No time like the present. Military efficiency was a lovely thing to see in action. “I’ve got my apartment upstairs-.”

Steve took his arm with gentle strength. “Let’s go. Now.”

\--

If Tony wanted heat relief, he had a few friends or professionals for that. Most omegas with strong heats had something similar. But he wasn’t more than casual friends with any of his sex buddies. He wanted more from Steve. This was courting, not just sex, and he wanted to make sure he did this absolutely right. Steve deserved it. He deserved the damn world. Tony at least had more experience to draw from, and he wanted to make this _perfect._

When the elevator door opened to Tony’s floor, Steve finally moved his hand up to the ribbon loop again, holding it loosely and letting Tony take the lead. Tony led him into the little sitting room adjoining his bedroom, and sank to his knees on a cushion he’d snagged off the sofa. Steve knew they were starting the next phase of the courtship ritual, and any movie with a romantic alpha/omega scene, prime time TV drama, theater production, love song, or novel with a relationship plotline from the last few hundred years laid out the script for this in detail. But he slowed down, staring at Tony in wonder, smiling at him with a bit of incredulity before taking his place right in front of him.

Tony kept the ritual up, circling his arms around Steve’s waist and pressing his cheek to the embroidered front of Steve’s courting trousers. The scent rising from beneath the stiffened cloth was decadently intoxicating, rich musk and amber. He swallowed once to make sure his voice sounded firm. “Alpha, may I see you?”

Steve’s breathing sounded shaky, but he put his hand very gently on Tony’s head. “Please, if you would.”

Tony made quick work of the buttons, baring Steve in just a few seconds. The words were old, and so was the posturing, but everything was part of the ritual for a reason. Alpha clothing was easy to remove, and in this position, an omega could give pleasure, or bite an alpha’s most prized attribute right off, if they felt the alpha had been disrespectful or coercive. There had been more than one attempted arranged marriage or war bride who’d gotten their point across in that exquisitely painful way. In a few cases, governments had been overthrown and new omega rulers crowned as a result.

Tony, however, wasn’t looking to start a revolution. He wanted this man, wanted to know him. As befitted Captain America, Steve was a ridiculously wonderful looking alpha. Every part of him was perfect, and Tony felt himself starting to get wet by just looking at him. Steve threaded his hand through his hair, and Tony could see his delightfully enthusiastic response. His cock was beautiful, long, thick enough to make Tony’s mouth water, the prettiest shade of pink, and hardening slowly from Tony looking at him. His knot was just barely swollen from arousal, but Tony could tell it was going to be spectacular. Steve needed to model for a new statue of David, and Tony would cheerfully pay to get it into MOMA. He sighed in appreciation and said the next part of the ritual.

“Alpha, I would have you.”

Steve’s hand tightened in Tony’s hair a very pleasant amount, an involuntary spasm at Tony’s acceptance. He breathed out quickly to settle himself, then picked up his part of the ritual.

“Omega, may I see you?” His words were firm enough, though his hand shook a little. 

“Please, if you would,” Tony said with a waggle of his eyebrows that made Steve grin. Tony reluctantly leaned away, then turned his back on Steve. He put his chest to the floor, rested his head on his crossed arms, and arched his back to present. The shimmering embroidery across his ass looked really good from that angle, so one of his past partners had told him. Steve went to his knees himself and pressed his face against the fabric to smell him. Tony knew his pheromones were strong, especially as worked up as he was right now, and Steve groaned in desire.

Gently, Steve reached to the side and began the elaborate process of baring Tony inch by inch. Omega courting clothing was supposed to be very difficult to remove, giving an omega more time if there had been a miscommunication with an alpha, or someone had second thoughts. A good alpha would be able to puzzle out the fastenings while taking the time to stoke their potential partner’s desire with caresses and praise. An alpha who ripped their omega’s clothes off was a barbarian and a brute, not someone accepted in polite society. If you couldn’t control yourself enough to figure out some knots, buttons, and clasps, you had no business courting, that was how the philosophy went.

Steve Rogers was very clever-handed, and kept pressing wonderful light kisses to every bit of newly-bared skin, caressing over the cloth where he had yet to puzzle things out. His hands were large and marvelously warm, squeezing him through his clothing with a teasing touch. He was being careful, slow, maybe even too slow, but there was some pleasure in delaying gratification.

The last fastenings finally fell away, and Steve eased the last the cloth down to Tony’s knees. Moisture trickled down Tony’s thighs, and he could feel Steve’s breath as he leaned close to see Tony’s hole and smell him unimpeded by cloth. Alas, you weren’t supposed to penetrate anyone with anything at this point, but Steve’s fingers were making soft little arcs and circles on the bare skin of Tony’s ass that were sending pleasurable goosebumps up his spine.

“Go on. That feels really good,” Tony urged into his crossed arms, wondering if maybe Steve was just looking for a bit more feedback. Rude of Tony not to keep him updated, but he’d been enjoying himself rather thoroughly.

“Is… is this all right?”

“Yes, very yes,” Tony enthused, relaxing his stance some more.

“Could we… go to the bedroom?”

Tony let himself come fully to attention, hard and heavy between his legs, his cock damp from the slick trickling out of him. “I was just waiting on you, tiger,” he said, a smile in his voice.

Steve blinked, and then blushed furiously (the skin of him growing so hot Tony could feel it) as he realized Tony had been waiting on the last part of the ritual. “Omega, I would have you.”

Ritual done – both partners had been assured of the other’s health, scent, and consent. Now came the free-form part of the program.

“Sorry, it’s- I forgot- I haven’t ever-,” Steve stopped, mouth snapping shut. Tony had been slipping out of the rest of his pants and paused, one leg still in as he realized the implications. Clearly Steve wouldn’t be here if he weren’t serious about finding someone, but to have _never…_ Tony was simultaneously thrilled that Steve had chosen him, appalled that Steve had chosen him, and amazed that he had the privilege of sharing this with him.

“No worries. I’ve been around the block enough times for three of us, and you are doing stellar,” Tony said, smiling. He finished his undressing in a few short motions, exposing himself completely to Steve’s hungry gaze. Scars be damned, his vanity could take a hike, because Steve was looking at him like he was the most lovely thing he’d ever seen, but also the most real. _Fuck._ This was almost too much.

Steve closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Tony, eclipsing the light from his arc reactor. “I’m so glad it’s you. You’re beautiful.”

Tony felt himself blushing like a school kid. “Not so bad yourself. Actually, scratch that. Right now, I’m the luckiest guy in Manhattan.”

Steve kissed him for a long time before moving down his jaw, neck, shoulder, chest, and then the reactor plate with equally delicate touches. He was moving slow, checking Tony’s reactions, the pads of his fingers barely making contact, making Tony shiver with delight. 

“Slow down there, soldier, or I’m going to end up in a puddle before we get to the bed.” Tony nodded down the hallway, where soft light was leaking from the bedroom door. His thighs hadn’t been so wet since his last heat, and while Tony had no doubt Steve could easily fuck him up against the wall, this was _courting_ , not a casual date. He was going to make sure he did this _right_. Wall-fucking could wait until the second date.

Steve shrugged out of the rest of his suit with a shy smile, laying it over the sofa with reverence. Tony drank in the beautiful sight of Steve’s hard-earned physique, briefly framing his hands like a photo, making Steve laugh.

“You look even better out of the suit,” Tony promised. He held out his forearm in imitation of the film _Pretty Omega_ , and Steve blushed in recognition. He slipped a hand around Tony’s arm and followed him into the bedroom. JARVIS had gotten the cleaning crew in to sort out the disaster he’d left in his bedroom from earlier. He’d also, unprompted, lit the artificial candles, brought up some mood lighting, and put on some soft, unobtrusive sensual music.

This was _A Room To Make Love In, Program 5_ , Tony recognized. JARVIS had excellent taste. He’d have to compliment him later, because doing so right now wouldn’t have been fair to Steve.

That worthy looked in awe around the huge room, eyes lighting on some of the art on the walls. Tony cut the potential distractions short by throwing himself on the bed and beckoning Steve with a come-hither glance. Steve crawled on the bed and loomed over Tony before descending to kiss him again, humming with pleasure.

“What do you want?” Steve asked eagerly, bringing up the back of his hand to just barely stroke down Tony’s flank. “What do you like?”

Part of that was likely a genuine ask, and Tony wasn’t loathe to let Steve know anything, but so far most of this had been about him. He wanted to see where Steve wanted this to go next before trying to direct any of tonight’s festivities.

“All of you,” Tony said, grinning at Steve’s adorable blush. “Go ahead; I’m sure I’ll like anything you want to try.” Steve was looking down at him like he couldn’t quite decide to go next, before his eyes sparkled with sudden focus. Tony wasn’t quite sure what Steve had decided, but was absolutely sure it was going to be good.

Steve leaned down and gathered up Tony’s cock in his hand, wet with slick and pre-cum, a pleasant handful of hard, sensitive flesh, and stroked it a few times. He dipped his head down and fed the tip of Tony’s cock into his plush, pink lips, tongue laving over it with relish. His cheeks pinked as he sucked Tony down further, and Tony gave a yelp of shock.

Steve pulled back, eyes wide with surprise. “Not okay?” He started to loosing his grip immediately, and Tony quickly covered Steve’s hand with his own, winking at him.

“Oh, we’re good, damn good, you just surprised me. Keep going,” Tony said. He licked his lips in anticipation, and Steve smiled in relief before sucking Tony back down. He looked amazingly peaceful with his lips stretched around Tony’s cock, slowly sucking him all the way down, hand moving to caress Tony’s thigh, then back up, just keeping the tip in his clever mouth to torment with his agile tongue.

Tony was enjoying it immensely, hand caressing Steve’s short hair, but he was still very amazed. He could count the number of times someone had sucked his dick on one hand; his past partners had tended to eat him out or finger him once past early foreplay. Omegas were supposed to be more sensitive to being penetrated, and pretty much everyone concentrated on that. Tony was no exception. Having something in him when he was horny was never less than excellent, but this was extremely nice too.

“Fuck, you’re good,” Tony groaned, eloquently letting Steve know he was doing just dandy.

Steve pulled off of Tony’s cock, stroking him slowly and looking shyly pleased with himself. “Thank you.”

Tony threw an arm across his face. Fuck. Steve Rogers was saying “thank you” for complimenting his dick-sucking skills. Tony was certain he was about to spontaneously combust. “Where did you learn that?”

Steve sucked him down again, holding him deep enough that Tony almost forgot his question. Almost. He threaded his hand through Steve’s hair and tugged slightly, finally getting Steve to let go of him and look up. Tony urged him further up the bed and captured his lips in a kiss. He kept the kiss slow and deep for long moments before pulling back and cocking his head.

“Hmm?” Tony asked, smiling slightly.

Steve blushed deeply red. “I, uh… A friend of mine and I used to, um…”

Tony nodded, running his hand down through Steve’s hair and stroking down his neck. “Hey, what you did, whenever you did it, whoever you did it with, that’s all yours unless you really want to tell me.” Steve said he hadn’t courted before, but that didn’t mean he was a complete virgin. He was a little uncertain, but not as nervous as someone who’d never done _anything_ before.

“Bucky,” Steve said, leaning into Tony’s steady touch. “He’s a beta, he’s my best friend and I love the hell out of him. Back when I was a buck ten, we, well, we wanted to make sure we knew how to do _something_ if we ever got serious with someone.”

Tony nodded sagely. “Totally get it, my buddy Rhodey and I had all sorts of fun back in the day. Now I can give tips to the people he’s courting.” He waggled his eyebrows and Steve stifled laughter.

“You don’t mind?”

“Not in the tiniest. But lemme make a suggestion, Captain Hot Lips.” Tony flicked his eyes back down, and Steve pinked, but slid back down Tony’s body to recapture his cock with his hot, clever mouth. “Put a couple of fingers in me, Steve. I want you to feel how wet you’re making me.”

Steve groaned helplessly around Tony, the vibrations feeling amazing, but he slid his hand up Tony’s open thigh obediently. Two fingers glided through the slick smeared there, tracing little circles over the small loop of the contraceptive implant under Tony’s skin. Without hesitation, Steve pushed two fingers into Tony’s slick heat, and made a noise of helpless arousal as Tony threw his head back and moaned in completely unexaggerated delight. 

Every suck was making Tony hotter and wetter, and with the sensual delight of Steve’s pleasantly thick fingers stroking inside him, he was producing enough slick to cover Steve’s hand in a few minutes. Tony was racing for his climax with Steve’s relentless attention, and while he wasn’t going to object to anything going on, he didn’t want to be too fucked-out to enjoy the rest of the evening.

“You feel amazing,” Tony breathed, and threaded his fingers through Steve’s hair, tugging up gently. Steve came off of Tony’s dick with a final laving of his tongue, but kept his fingers thrusting slowly. “Come up here,” Tony said, and Steve started to lean up for a kiss. Grinning, Tony sat up and kissed that lovely neck that had been on such wonderful display. Steve cupped Tony’s head with one hand, making a soft sigh of pleasure as Tony worked his way down his neck, across that ridiculously broad chest, to the hard, tight peaks of his nipples. His fingers stuttered inside Tony as Tony sucked on the sensitive little nubs, and Steve uttered a strangled cry. 

“Oh, God,” he got out, folding himself over to curl protectively over Tony, even as Tony slipped his hand over Steve’s hip. The alpha gesture of protection was seriously hot without cramping his style in the least, and Tony made a pleased little hum as he let the pads of his fingers barely skim Steve’s skin. Only at the last did he let himself grip Steve’s cock in a satisfyingly firm grasp. Steve’s fingers hooked inside Tony, making his eyes flutter with the stretch and pressure.

“Is that-?”

“Good, you’re good,” Tony reassured him before he could even start to worry. He gave Steve a stroke, clenching around Steve’s fingers hard as he felt the size and weight of him in his hand, his knot already filling out a little in anticipation. “You feel _amazing._ ”

“I don’t think I can wait anymore,” Steve said, and drew back to kiss Tony all over, soft, hot lips claiming his cheeks, his forehead, his eyes, temples, and lips.

“Come on now,” Tony whispered into his mouth, and pulled away long enough to get down on his back, thighs spread, slick, pink hole on full display. The traditional omega presenting was fun and all, but did zero favors for his arc reactor when it came to actual fucking; he knew from experience it called up an ache that was an absolute boner killer. But from the look on Steve’s face, lust mixed with a kind of tender adoration Tony wasn’t entirely sure he deserved yet, this was going to be more than fine. 

“Get inside me, alpha,” he said, and felt a powerful thrill as Steve moaned like he was holding onto control by the thinnest of margins, his lovely dick throbbing and glistening, his body tense with holding back.

Steve covered him, weight on one muscled arm as Tony curled his legs high around Steve’s chest. With a tip of his hips, he helped Steve find the right angle. In a single powerful thrust, Steve filled him completely, making Tony’s head loll back and Steve’s drop to just brush the arc reactor as they savored the unbelievable pleasure of the heat, the pressure, and the stretch.

“You,” Tony whispered, his voice rough as he slung an arm over Steve’s shoulder, “are filling me up places I didn’t know I had.”

“You feel so perfect,” Steve murmured back, like he was talking right into Tony’s heart. “You…”

“Move,” Tony begged, tightening his legs and grip, clenching down on Steve inside him. “Move or I’m gonna die, here.”

“Never,” Steve promised, sounding suddenly fierce. His head came up in challenge, and Tony suddenly hung on for dear life. Steve’s hips slid back sharply, and then he began to thrust, solid, powerful, utterly satisfying thrusts that had Tony reduced to little wordless noises. They raced for the peak between them, Steve’s expanding knot working Tony open, Tony giving up a strangled cry as his body seized on Steve, waves of pleasure rippling through him. Seconds later, he exploded into another, higher peak as Steve shoved in, his knot fully expanding as spurt after spurt filled Tony up with warmth that left him glowing. Steve froze above him, lost in the sensation, and Tony sighed in contentment, his own cock spurting untouched as his body clenched around Steve.

Long moments later, still holding his own weight easily, Steve looked down at him with eyes dark with pleasure, and brushed Tony’s hair back from his forehead. “You look so beautiful.”

“Funny, I was about to say the same thing, handsome,” Tony said, his smile never feeling so easy or free. He cupped his hands around Steve’s face and brought him in for a long kiss. As Steve’s body finally let Tony go, he eased his legs down from their high perch, aided by Steve, who ran his hands up and down Tony’s body to ease any aches. Tony flopped his hand over to the nightstand to bring out some wipes to deal with the worst of the mess in return, nailing his eyes to Steve’s and whispering a soft, “Thank you.” When Tony finished, Steve finally laid on his side and opened his arms tentatively. 

Something in Tony felt like he was melting, and he settled himself in the circle of his alpha’s embrace, feeling Steve’s arms close around him like the armor he’d once used to save himself. Settled into warmth and togetherness, Tony drifted off to sleep listening to Steve’s breathing.

By the time morning light had eased its way into the bedroom, Tony had drifted back into wakefulness. Steve was still beautifully asleep, long eyelashes brushing his cheeks in a way that made him look too perfect for this world. He hadn’t left in the night. Tony felt like his heart was full of more than just arc reactor power, and he went to go search through his nightstand again. But just as he turned to do that, he realized what was waiting there: a length of red-and-gold silk ribbon with red and gold beads. It was a more elaborate version of the ribbons he used to have in college or as a young entrepreneur, something for a more settled man, rather than a young buck with too much to prove. He wasn’t sure who had put it there, JARVIS or Pepper, but he silently reminded himself to thank them both.

Tony ran it through his fingers, then slipped it around Steve’s wrist and tied it on. He felt his heartbeat speeding up as Steve stirred, hoping he wouldn’t be upset at the presumption the ribbon represented; that he was ready for more courting. Steve’s arm flexed around Tony as he lifted the ribbon up to his line of sight. Behind him, Tony could feel the heat of his blush… and the decided carnal interest as the firm length pressing into his backside represented. Still, Tony held his breath until Steve shifted and brought a length of blue-and-white ribbon into view, blue pattered with stars, and circled it around Tony’s wrist.

“I loved having you, omega,” Steve said into his ear. Tony shivered and gripped Steve’s hand around his ribbon. “I’d give you every ribbon I had.”

“I’d make up new ones for you,” Tony said, turning in Steve’s hold, feeling giddy. Steve’s blue eyes were clear and warm in the morning light. “I still want you, alpha.”

“Okay,” Steve said, looking pleased and amazing and utterly happy. “What now?”

Tony smiled, and kissed him, long and slow, caressing the ribbon he’d given him. “Whatever we want.”

Steve clasped their ribboned hands together and brought their bodies together flush, making Tony moan a little in anticipation. “That sounds perfect.” Together, ribbons sliding against each other, the alpha and omega resumed their courting.


End file.
